


The Room

by toraty



Category: actuallyoddplan
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, accidental pining, amnesiac like situation, panic/anxiety attacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:15:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25179835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toraty/pseuds/toraty
Summary: Two persons in one room.Nothing is familiar.No memories.So, what happens next?
Relationships: Hosuh Lee/Stephen Ng
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	1. Prelude

_The Room is a fabled location. Few have entered and less have remembered, yet rumors have spread like wildfires in the school years of many children, leaving the faintest imprint on one’s mind. Time is distorted and feelings develop. No one chooses to enter, it just happens. The unsuspecting become ensnared in the grand design of fate, pushing for a closer bond. Everlasting some may say. For it ends with a look and starts with a touch._


	2. Convergency

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet. 
> 
> They meet. 
> 
> Anything else?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're sensitive to panic/anxiety attacks/episodes, tread lightly. Didn't really write much triggering content, rather a character going through it. Nevertheless, watch yourself.

Slowly blinking the surroundings to existence, the purple-haired man on the couch begins to grow antsy at his confused exhaustion, thoughts slowly trickling in.

_Where am I?_

As he surveys the room, he finds some oddities. There are no windows whatsoever. Curtains only cover the wall behind it. It does add a splash of color to the rather bleak walls, but their purpose seems somewhat redundant. There’s only one door with a hanging labeled _BATHROOM_ in the vast expanse of wall available in the room. _At least I can take a shit._ Besides the potty humor, the room still offers little with its bare looks. A single television, an ottoman, and coffee table are in the “living room,” if you would want to even call it that. The only thing separating this huge room into two is the breakfast nook, with the kitchen on the opposite side. And even then, the kitchen is a sad sight. Empty countertops surrounded by a few cabinets, the kitchen offers little variety, if you overlook the refrigerator and the sink. A boring room indeed. 

Shifting in his spot, the cushions are somewhat stiff, but the pillows are fluffy. He sits up from his position and begins to rub the tiredness from his eyes. 

A creak breaks the silence. 

“Ah, you’re finally awake.” 

Putting his fists away, he opened his eyes and was met with the sight of a short man, closing the door behind him. With shoulder-length grey hair in a ponytail and some simple side-swept bangs, it was a style that was not familiar to him on the male face. Nevertheless, the stranger made it work, framing his face ever so nicely. _Nicely?_ The sitting man quickly shook his head, caught off-guard by the sudden thought. 

“I’d imagine you have questions for me, but would you answer me this? What’s your name?” Silver-haired asked as he slowly approached the couch. 

“Alright, guess we’re getting the introductions out of the way. But if you must know, my name… is…. My name is…” _What the fuck? What is my name?_ As he grasped at straws, rummaging through his memory for the slightest hint of a name, his face followed along, contorting in confusion. 

“Hey, it looks like we’re in the same boat. I couldn’t remember my own name when I came to, but, heh, lucky us, we got name tags.” Silver-haired pointed towards his shirt and a small sticker was attached, a name written with crude handwriting. “Apparently, my name’s Hosuh. Interesting name, huh? But I like it, has a nice ring to it.” 

Once Hosuh gave his name, the purple-haired man decided to give a look towards his chest. Lo and behold, a nametag was there. “S. T. E. –“

“Stephen. Let me spare you from the trouble. Your name is Stephen.” Hosuh said. 

_Stephen. My name is Stephen._ “Ah, thank you for that. Reading upside down isn’t my strong suit.” He mentioned as he awkwardly scratched his head. Once the embarrassment died down, Stephen’s interest perked up and he turned toward Hosuh’s direction, asking “By any chance, you know how we got here? Or why we’re here in the first place?” 

“Not really. No memory before this and the room’s bare.” Hosuh answered. “I tried the tv to see any news, but no signal. We got DVDs though.” He chuckled, “At least we won’t be completely bored.”

_Damn. Even the entertainment is limited here._ Stephen looked around the room again, trying to see if anything stuck out now but to no avail. Like his previous attempt, the walls remained empty and the room bare. “Okay. Since this seems to be a recent thing and I have no idea how long we’ll be here for, want to introduce yourself some more first or me?” 

“What about you first? Since you just woke up, we’ll get the purest form of ‘Stephen.’ I’m intrigued by your purple hair and all. You a scene kid?” Hosuh answered. 

“Alright, rude. But to tell you the truth, I got no idea why its purple.” Stephen slyly twirled a purple lock, “Maybe colored hair is all the fashion where I’m from. And I ain’t a scene kid. I was a quiet kid back in school. Kept to myself back then. But now, I don’t really care. 23 and me, eey.” His face dropped from his initial casual expression. _23? And school? How did I remember that but not my name?_ Staying quiet, Stephen tried to access the recesses of his brain, attempting to put a finger on his age. Or the school he went to and his classmates. But it all came back blank. A simple feeling told him he was 23 and the closest thing to a school memory is a classroom full of students, blank faces littering his vision. The teacher turned around and her face devoid of any features. The posters on the wall were filled with random gibberish, barely resembling words. Then the walls started to melt, and his desk was sinking into the floor, tilting him off balance as he sank lower and lower. Creeped out by the intrusion, he shivered himself back to reality, finding silver-haired waving his hand in front of him. 

“Hey, you okay?” Hosuh asked, his face wrought with worry. “You seemed to be having an episode and I didn’t want to bring you out of it prematurely. So, I waited.” He brought his hand to Stephen’s shoulder, rubbing small circles with his thumb ever so slowly. “Are those a regular occurrence? And if so, can I help?”

_Not going to lie, that is soothing._ But returning to the question at hand, Stephen brought his attention to Hosuh, shifting and leaning his body closer to lessen the distance between them. “Ah, I have no idea what that was, but it isn’t a daily thing. It didn’t feel normal, so its probably a one-time thing, ya know. Also, if something like that happens again, you have my permission to wake me up. Shake me, slap me, etc. I’d rather exit an episode than endure it.” Turning his eyes downward, away from Hosuh, Stephen quietly finished, “Thanks, nevertheless. For keeping an eye on me and all.” He snuck a quick glance, hoping Hosuh didn’t catch it. “Appreciate it.” 

“No problem. And now I’m better prepared for next time.” He chuckled, “If there’s a next time.” Retracting his hand back, Hosuh brought them together, “Changing the topic, I’ll tell you about myself now.” He readjusted his posture slightly, a slight cracking of his back entering the air, as he readied his hands to list off some items. “Since you gave me your age, its only fair I say mine. I’m 24 and somewhat surprised you’re younger than me. I like to draw, as I found myself doodling in the notepad on the table earlier. Three, I must’ve liked cooking as I was thinking about all kinds of recipes to try with the food in the fridge. Ah, school!” Stephen tensed up a bit reflexively. “I was a shy kid but got good grades.” Hosuh looked up as if the ceiling would give him anymore answers. “And that’s about it for me, from what came out so far. I’d imagine as we talk and do other things, more memories will spark.”

Stephen nodded in agreement, “Yeah, time will probably help.” As he shifted to a more comfortable position on the couch, his stomach let out a growl. 

“Well, I think your stomach knows the next item on the agenda.” Hosuh laughed. _A charming laugh._ “Come on. Let’s make something delicious for your stomach.” He led the way to the kitchen but momentarily stopped in his tracks. 

“Did the AC just kick on? I feel like I’m freezing, even though I was just fine a minute ago.”

“If you’re cold, you could borrow my hoodie if you want. I don’t see any other jackets or blankets lying around, so you’re free to use it to warm up.” Stephen answered. _That felt a bit eager. Shit._

“Uh, how thoughtful of you. But are you sure, won’t you get cold?” Hosuh asked, the sly reluctance growing in his voice. 

“It’s no problem. I don’t get cold easily so I’m fine with lending you my hoodie.” Stephen started to haphazardly take off his hoodie, somehow getting tangled his sleeves. _Might as well commit._ “Here. Take it, take it. I’m already warm.” 

“Well alright then. If you insist.” As he came closer, waiting for Stephen to fully remove his hoodie, his eyes perked up a bit. 

“Oh Stephen, you still have your nametag. Let me get rid of that for you first.” Hosuh exclaimed, making a beeline to peel the tag off his hoodie before Stephen could fully take it off. “I mean, at this point, it shouldn’t be hard to remember our own names.” As Hosuh zipped away from the man, looking for a trashcan around the kitchen, Stephen finished what he started, removing the hoodie entirely and waiting for Hosuh to return. All the meanwhile, he stared aimlessly in the direction of the silver-haired as he tore his own off, eyes somewhat entranced at the small gesture.

Finally returning to earth, Stephen tried to casually reply, yet a small crack gives him away. “Oh, don’t wo-rry.” Yet Hosuh didn’t catch it, and he tries to continue as if nothing had happened. “Here’s the hoodie. And thanks, but it isn’t a big deal, really.” 

_Because the only name I want to remember is yours._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man i wanted to get this out for the longest time. lets see when I post the next chapters ;-;


	3. Intimacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still stuck in a room, but hey, they made food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did not think i would finish this chapter by tonight, but I did. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it.

“So, how’s the food coming?” Stephen asked. 

“If you’re wondering if it’s burnt, it’s not.” Hosuh retorted as he shook the skillets and their contents around. The hash browns were frying to that crispy, golden color and the eggs were nearing the cusp of being fried at its edges, but the yolk still holds it liquid gold. Hints of bacon permeated through the air, accompanied by its delightful sizzling. “Crispy for sure, and lightly charred at most, as I would say. But hey, it gives it more flavor.” 

_“Sure.”_

“You know, I could keep all this food to myself.” Hosuh huffed, “there’s plenty for you to make something for yourself.” He kept his focus on the food, but a playful pout made its way to his face. A small chuckle escaped when he heard a gasp come from behind. 

“How cruel! Keeping this feast to yourself, even when I helped.” Stephen piped on. “I guess you were quite the bamboozler, Hosuh.” The clattering of plates could be heard in the background.

“And you, a whiner.” Hosuh said while scraping the hash browns from the sides with a spatula, before pointing it at the man behind him. “Besides, I wouldn’t put you through the fate of eating your own food. Not after the bacon incident.” Shivers ran down his spine, remembering the gruesome details of the atrocity against food. _Oh, the horror._

“Oh, come on. I was young and stupid. I’m pretty sure there are others who’ve melted bacon before.” Stephen objected. 

_Steph, hon._ “Burnt? Sure. Melted? No. I mean, if that’s one of the things you remembered, it must’ve had an impact on you somehow, maybe you almost burnt your house down. Or maybe not. But I imagine it to be the Chernobyl of the food world. Complete blasphemy.” 

“Suck a dick. We all make mistakes.” Stephen spouted, “And I’m reconsidering whether I tell you everything that I remember now if you’re going to hold it over my head like that.”

 _Because its asinine._ “Oh, whatever will I do?” Hosuh sarcastically jabbed with, bringing his hands to his face, imitating The Scream by making his face look gaunt. Breaking character, Hosuh broke out laughing. “Come on, food’s ready.” 

Hosuh grabbed one of the plates Stephen had prepared earlier. Taking his portion of the food, he began to make his way to the breakfast nook, silverware in hand while Stephen was manning the toaster, a couple of dings going off.

As Hosuh sat in his spot, a wave of annoyance overcame him. _Dammit. I forgot to grab a drink._ Rising, Hosuh headed for the fridge. His food was getting cold, as he was one who liked to eat right off the bat. Cold food sucks, but lukewarm? Barely warm enough not to be a mushy cold mess, but not hot enough to spread the flavor like it was designed to? One of the worst ways to eat hot food. And putting it into a microwave just sends it closer to its gross death. And now here he was, trying to decide what to drink with his meal. All the while, Stephen was still working… on the toast… six pieces of toast to be exact? _A toasty boy, I guess. Might as well ask._

“Stephen, want anything to drink while I’m over here?” Hosuh asked, head stuck between the fridge doors, surveying the options available. 

“No idea. I’ll be there in a minute.” He replied, a small dinging following shortly. _More toast?_ Hosuh sighed and was contemplating whether a glass of milk or some orange juice would be a refreshing companion. Milk’s a classic but OJ has the acidic kick to it. _Options, options, opt… what the hell?_ He felt his hair being smushed from above, the edge of a chin slightly digging into his scalp. Not a sensation he was expecting, but the nestling was oddly gentle.

“Find anything yet?” Stephen wondered, a lazy lilt surfacing. But as soon as the contact came, it vanished, A small stumble behind him and a bit of clattering from the dishes on the table, Stephen quickly detached himself from the situation. “Aa-a-aah never mind, I got some water, so don’t worry about me.” 

_Why that little shit._ Hosuh was dumbfounded by the blatant backpedaling, but he thought he could have some fun with it. Grabbing the orange juice, he poured himself a hefty glass. As he was heading back, he was met with a piece of toast on the floor. _How suave._

Picking up the dropped toast, he tried to catch Stephen’s attention with a small whistle, a failed attempt as the purple-haired stared straight at his food with intense focus, occasionally picking at the edges. Another whistle. And nothing. 

“Stephen.” Mohawk finally perks up, eyes averted but attention got. “I’m guessing this bad boy has been on the floor for more than five seconds, so I’m going to throw it away. Unless you still want it to complete your toasty collection?” A cheeky smirk made its way onto Hosuh’s face, as the gears of nervousness began their work in Stephen’s mind.

“Yea-no, go for it. I didn’t even realize I dropped i-it.” Speedily speaking, the words barely articulated. With that, Hosuh dumped the toast in the trash, a slight crinkling coming out. Sitting across from Stephen, he started working on his eggs and hash browns. Meanwhile, purple-haired still stared at the food, occasionally bringing some of it to his mouth. 

“If the situation was different, I would have said that the dropped toast was a waste. But we got plenty of bread for two people. For now, at least. Don’t know when we should be really worried about the amount of food left though. Especially given we can’t go out at the moment. So on a lighter note, let's try not to let anything else go to… waste? Stephen?”

“… waste…” Stephen’s hand was shaking slightly, eyes still averted but his breathing was becoming more evident. Shallow breaths attempting to hide, but raspy exhales gave him away. “… waste…” His shoulders were higher than before. _More tense?_ Nevertheless, Stephen’s posture was a bit worrying. His neck can’t be comfortable in that position, drooping heavily. 

“Stephen?” _Is he having another episode?_ Hosuh started heading over to his side, gently shaking him. “Stephen?” His eyes were still averted, but the quick glances showed a dazed look. “Stephen!” Hosuh continued to shake until… _He’s shivering?_ The man continued to tense up and his muscles vibrated uncontrollably. The squeaking of the chair, the rattling of the table, it was all too much. But the blank stare that contrasted his shaking body sent chills down Hosuh’s spine. He couldn’t think of anything to do. Stephen said he could slap him, but with this situation, that doesn’t seem appropriate at all. 

_Think!_

The episode seemed longer than before. 

_Think!_

With no rhyme or reason, Hosuh wrapped his arms around Stephen, firmly hugging the shivering man. Logic finally lost to instinct, as the spontaneous embrace from the side garnered awkward shifting. Better positioning could have been implemented, but it was too late. Have to focus on the now. On the present. 

“Hey, Stephen.” 

No response. 

Hugging a bit tighter, “Stephen.” The shivering toned down a bit. “Steph, you ok? Can you hear me?” 

No response. 

Keeping him in his hold, Hosuh began to stroke the back of Stephen’s head slowly and rhythmically as he shifted him onto his shoulder, carefully nestling the incognizant man. Slowly rocking the both of them, the slightest creaks from the chair breaking the silence, Hosuh tentatively began to hum. Words weren’t getting through to him. Maybe something less direct might work. So, Hosuh hummed. 

And hummed. 

And hummed. 

“…-suh?” 

The shivering had come to a halt. Stephen’s eyes were getting more focused by the second. The rigid body that was under his arms was becoming more slacked. 

“Present.” 

A weak chuckle makes its way out, softening the stagnant air. 

“You know, it's getting late for breakfast. Why don’t we go chill on the couch?” Hosuh alluding a quick escape from their current spot. “We could watch any movie you want.” Slowly, Hosuh helps Stephen rise from the chair. “Well, any movie that this place has really.” 

As they finally reach the couch, Hosuh goes to grab the case of DVDs for Stephen to rummage through. With three cases split between the two of them, they start flipping through the pages of colorful and unique DVD covers. Or at least Hosuh does. Stephen still hasn’t touched the case, leaving it to sit on the coffee table. All he does is absentmindedly stare at it. The slight movement he does exhibit is his breathing, which is somewhat returning to normal. 

_He looks like a comedy kinda guy._ “Hey Stephen, how about this movie, Jojo Rabbit? I remember seeing a trailer one time and it looked good.” Hosuh recommended, momentarily stopping in his tracks. _Holy shit! I do remember this. I remember Hitler hanging around this kid and doing random shit in one of the trailers. And I feel like somebody recommended it to me before._

Stephen nods along, giving his approval of the film. Hosuh pops it in the DVD player and settles himself next to Stephen on the couch. As he adjusts the settings and starts the movie, Hosuh feels a slight weight beginning to lean on his shoulder, followed by a soft tug on the hoodie. Taking a quick glance to his left, he sees Stephen shifting his body onto him, his eyelids drooping ever-so-slightly as he loosely held onto the hoodie around the forearms. _Oh my god, that’s precious. But poor thing, he’s all tuckered out._

Moving his body around, Hosuh positions himself for a better movie-viewing experience, while making it easier and more comfortable for Stephen to lean on him. He’s not going to last long. Won’t be long until he’s out like a light. 

As the movie plays on, Hosuh takes the occasional quick glance at Stephen to see how he’s faring. At about the 30-minute mark, Stephen finally falls asleep. Trying to make sure little bothers the sleeping man, Hosuh turns down the volume and passively watches the movie, occasionally dozing off himself. Yet, he musters enough strength to stay awake. He really did want to see the movie. 

-

“Hey, Hosuh.” 

“Yeah?” A quick swivel shook the gray bangs towards Stephen’s direction, as he finally spoke for quite some time. 

“Ah- I…” 

Their eyes finally lock onto each other. Purple seeing grey. Grey seeing purple. Time stops, breaths are held. 

A moment in time.

Fades. 

[BLACKOUT]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weird ending, i know, but stick with me. It may or may not work when the last chapter comes out but here's to hoping it does. 
> 
> Also, thanks for reading!


End file.
